Retired Polk County K9 Ace is running and jumping again with a custom prosthetic, according to an Oct. 14 update from FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Dr. Kerry Jackson of Polk County Animal Control told the station that Ace had been using the limb for about three weeks. Jackson described progress from walking with a support harness to moving on his own, then running and jumping while wearing the device. The report gives a snapshot of that recovery, not a long-term medical forecast.
Westcoast Brace and Limb, a Florida orthotics clinic, made the prosthetic at no cost to the department, FOX 13 reported. Ace’s handler, Deputy Natalie Oestreich, had looked into custom pet prosthetics, and Jackson helped connect her with the clinic. Danielle Tobler, a certified prosthetist-orthotist, said the limb was intended for walks and selected activities rather than all-day wear. The clinic planned a follow-up fit check a couple of weeks after the report to see whether it needed alignment adjustments.
Ace’s route to the prosthetic began with an August line-of-duty injury that ended his service with the sheriff’s K9 unit. In an Aug. 12 release, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Ace was stabilized at Parkway Veterinary Emergency Clinic and then flown by Tampa General Hospital Aeromed to Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch. FOX 13 later reported that veterinarians amputated his left front leg and shoulder blade. The recovery update focuses on what came next.
The design needed to account for Ace losing his shoulder as well as his front leg. In a separate WFLA report, reporter Grant Palmer quoted Tobler describing a body-vest-style support that secures around Ace’s torso. That is how this particular device stays in place, rather than attaching to a remaining section of the leg. The detail helps explain why the clinic built a custom fit for Ace.
FOX 13 reported that clinic practitioners took a cast of Ace to shape the device and had him practice shifting his weight onto it during the fitting. The prosthetic was fabricated by technicians who work on pet orthotics and prosthetics, Tobler told the station. A close fit mattered for a device that is used only during particular activities. The report describes a process of measuring, fitting and practice, rather than a quick fix.
FOX 13 described Westcoast Brace and Limb as one of the few facilities building custom prosthetics for animals. Tobler said Ace was measured at the clinic’s St. Petersburg location, while fabrication was done at the clinic’s main lab in Tampa near USF. That account shows the work involved an in-person fitting as well as fabrication by technicians who focus on pet devices.
Jackson said Ace initially needed Oestreich to support him while he walked with a harness. By the Oct. 14 update, she said, he could walk independently with the prosthetic and was running and jumping with it. Tobler’s description of its intended use adds context: Ace does not wear the limb constantly. The clinic expected to check how it fit after he had more time using it and adjust the alignment if needed. FOX 13 did not report the result of that future visit.
The department retired Ace after the amputation, FOX 13 reported, and he is expected to live with Oestreich. She planned to choose a new K9 partner in the future. Ace’s work has changed from law enforcement to retirement at home, where the prosthetic supports walks and other selected activities. The story does not suggest that the device will return him to service.
The clinic’s response also included a personal gesture. FOX 13 said staff members who knew Ace’s story donated their work and made custom shirts in his honor. The report does not provide a dollar value, so none is included here. For the retired dog, the immediate milestone is practical: he can move on his own and run with the device when he wears it, while the clinic checks the fit and he continues adjusting.
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